four years

https://lauradi7dw.dreamwidth.org/2020/12/11/

not as bad as I feared

Plumbers were here for less than half an hour. In addition to letting the air out of the radiator in the guest room (which I had been doing), air was let out of a valve in the basement. Radiator now warming up as requested. Since the minimum payment is for 1.5 hours, he asked what else I needed doing. I managed to remember that I wanted to confirm with him that I was right about where the whole-house shut-off valve is. Yes. He watched me shut it off and re-open it. He also pointed out where the single item shut-offs are for the hot water tanks (one each for the solar and the electric), in case it's just one of the tanks leaking. I sure hope I never have to deal with that, but metal things go bad sooner or later.

tastes from my childhood

I'm trying to use up the last of the farmers' market lettuce. I don't usually have mayonnaise in the house but I had to get some to fulfil my role as the deviled egg supplier for the knitting group holiday party (I have the plate, after all). I thought of the standard salad dressing when I was growing up - a blend of mayonnaise and ketchup until the right shade of pinkish orange was achieved. I stirred some up and put it on shredded lettuce. Not bad. While I was on a roll, I thought of the layered salad of lettuce, pineapple, and cottage cheese. I am negligently without canned pineapple right now (I've put it on the shopping list). The alternative was canned Mandarin sections.



I don't stock that, but I have clementines, so that was the next lettuce course.

Do I need an adventure?

EDIT - friend who has lived in Hong Kong and Singapore informed me that Lunar New Year would be the worst possible time to visit a country that observes it. Everything will be closed, and the weather (for the most part) will be gloomy.

I have realized that for reasons, the best time next year for me to have a vacation (as opposed to family obligation trip) is probably February, soon enough that I should be planning. Lunar new year is January 29th next year, almost February. But if I go somewhere that it's a big deal, won't people want to be home with their families instead of catering to tourists?
Taking a long Amtrak trip on a route I haven't seen instead?